A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
| Year | Citation | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Dr. Bowles investigated an axiomatic framework for problems concerning optimal ways to transport a distribution into another. In his work, he focused on an associated class of non-linear operators and developed their invariant properties. This research contributes to our understanding of common structures that persists across such problems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Cheng introduced nonaqueous solvents into capillary electrophoresis (CE), which separates species based on charge and size. He modified the connection of CE to modern mass spectrometry and optimized its analysis of hydrophobic compounds. His work complements the state-of-art CE by achieving its analysis of hydrophobic analytes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Zhang studied how individuals high in perfectionism form relationships in group psychotherapy. Her research elaborates on the mechanisms of how perfectionism may negatively impact the process of psychotherapy and informs intervention strategies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ebneyamini's research focused on the regeneration of limestone-based particles as sorbents for the capture of CO2 via calcium-looping. His work introduced a novel technology, capable of efficient sorbent regeneration at relatively mild temperatures. The process also benefits from CO2 utilization, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Yorgun studied ostracized populations, understudied in refugee law, conducting novel interviews in South Africa. Dr. Yorgun's research unmasked a bias in refugee law which predominantly focuses on the asylum systems of Western states. She demonstrates this must be overcome to better understand some of the most vulnerable, least mobile refugees. | Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Vitale studied how everyday technology users curate their personal data, such as photos, documents, or mobile apps, by deciding what to keep or discard. His work characterizes the strong individual differences that users display in their decisions and provides implications for designing personalized tools that can meet different user needs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ennis determined the dietary requirements for amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine in human pregnancy, while comparing findings to current management practices of maternal phenylketonuria patients. These studies will improve dietary recommendations during pregnancy that have the potential to positively impact birth outcomes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Hofman examined the relationship between privacy and transparency, finding that recordkeeping mediates that relationship. She developed a framework for records professionals making decisions weighing privacy, transparency, and secrecy based on archival principles. Her research can improve digital technology to better protect privacy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Library, Archival and Information Studies (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Jabalee examined the molecular changes that occur during cancer progression. He identified silencing of the SMPD3 gene as a driver of cell motility and demonstrated the presence of morphological alterations in non-cancer cells adjacent to tonsil tumors. This work opens the door to development of novel tests for early tumor detection. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Mathae discovered the role of an immune cell population in sex bias in asthma prevalence. She also found that these cells migrate from the lung to the liver upon activation, linking the lung and liver immunity. Her work highlights the complexity of the local and systemic immune regulations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Mabi investigated the role of information and identity for African Immigrants seeking equitable employment in Vancouver. She demonstrated that the multifaceted identities of immigrants had a significant impact on access to settlement support and employment outcomes, highlighting the value of an intersectional approach to immigrant settlement. | Doctor of Philosophy in Library, Archival and Information Studies (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Tembrevilla documented an expansion in rural high school science teachers' knowledge related to technology, pedagogy, and content through science video production. This work underscores the importance of centering investments for science teachers and integrating technology and local knowledge in science education, particularly in rural areas. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Mitra examined the effect of separate refining and co-refining of mixtures of softwood and hardwood pulps in terms of paper tensile strength. He developed a scaling law for tensile strength increase during refining of pulp mixtures, which will help use NBSK pulp to the highest potential and achieve target strengths depending on grades of paper. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Giannone studied identity development in young adults and student-athletes. She found that group interventions that brought young people together to talk about identity helped them develop a stronger sense of who they are and where they are heading. Enhanced identity improved participants' sense of hope, motivation, and self-efficacy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Brenner examined how teacher candidates' personal characteristics and features of learning environments shaped their motivation to develop self-regulated learning practices. She identified affordances and constraints for the development of these practices, and identifies how teacher educators may include them in their curricula. | Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Sadiq explored language and literacy practices of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, one of the largest, yet understudied, displaced populations. He found that families engage in various literacy practices. At school, females experienced more success than males, as the latter lacked available guardians and schoolwork was beyond their level. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Yee examined how Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators and advocates came together in a Community of Inquiry to support Indigenous (and all) students. Based in research on colonialism and decolonization, her study traced how diverse participants co-constructed practices to enact a shared vision of education based on respectful relationships. | Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Standing presented a new historical interpretation of the early modern English Chancery's role in relocating moral obligation from a spiritual to a temporal jurisdiction. Arguing that this shift is registered in the period's drama, she has contributed to an important ongoing conversation about personal interiority, state values, and conscience. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Graham examined the pedagogical benefits of learning and performing a musical genre known as complexism - a style that has received much criticism over the years. He presented interviews with well-known performers, analysis of his own experience, and highlighted the benefits the musician will see as a result of an experience with this genre. | Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Instrument (DMA) |
| 2020 | Dr. Shilling spoke with urban Indigenous youth to explore how they use technology to connect to identity, language, and culture, finding that social media acts as a place for learning and engaging with community. Her results have implications on community-building, language revitalization, and education outreach throughout Turtle Island. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2020 | Through a comparative historical analysis, Dr. Wells found that sex testing policy remains resilient over time because it operates as an actor-network - a loose coalition of human beings, ideas, and technologies - which links biological knowledge about sexual difference with cultural values about competitive fairness, even as those concepts evolve. | Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Lo explored Chinese heritage maintenance in identity and language practice in BC. Findings illuminate perceptions shaped by migratory trajectory, immigrant generation, and embodied racialized identity. Her research enriches the theoretical discourse in heritage maintenance with language as a conceptual link between heritage and identity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Qiu used computer simulations to explain the motion of drops made from a magnetic liquid, and developed a general computational method to study liquid crystals with a free surface. His research helps understand the physics of complex fluids under surface tension, and design new materials for many possible applications, such as medical care. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Day analyzed contemporary media artworks that interrogate the socio-political issues of data and algorithms. The research argues that these artworks subvert the exploitation and encoding of information capitalism through amplifying data that has been suppressed, offering critical ways to engage with information and communication technologies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Cui developed comprehensive approaches to interpreting deep learning models in visual understanding. These approaches provide explanations from diverse aspects for the black-box deep learning models. His work will help build trust in end-users for those deep models and contribute to the model deployment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |